By Carmel Donovan, BHSc Naturopathy
The hemp plant is a true multi-tasker with a list of credited roles that would make even the biggest celebrity envious!
Hemp seed was one of the first plants to be spun into fibres and woven into clothing fabric around 10,000 years ago. Down through the ages humans have found a plethora of ways to utilise this versatile plant including use as paper, insulation, bio-fuel and even to purify water and soil.
Hemp seeds are also known to have great nutritional properties and following changes to the food standards code in November 2017 this nutrient dense food can now be purchased by Australians.
Today I will be reviewing raw shelled hemp seeds and hemp oil made by Hemple.
First up let’s take a look at some of the vital stats for the Hemple Hearts Hemp Seeds. Weight for weight these little beauties have about the same amount of protein as a chicken breast and offer anywhere between twenty-five and fifty percent of the RDI for several vitamins and minerals including thiamine, magnesium, iron, zinc and calcium in a single serve.
The nutritional panel also reveals a high omega 3 content with approximately double the adequate intake. But in assessing this we need to consider that the scientific evidence for many of the cardiovascular and anti-inflammatory benefits of omega 3 focus specifically on EPA and DHA. Plant sources of omega 3 such as the alpha-linolenic acid in hemp seeds are converted by the body to EPA and DHA, however the amount that gets converted can vary significantly between people.
Although providing double the adequate intake of omega 3 in a serve this might not correspond to the amount of EPA and DHA you may require for specific health benefits. Here is where your friendly neighbourhood Kunara’s naturopath comes in, we can help work through how much you may need and how products like Hemple Hearts can be best integrated into your diet.
As a product the oil is velvety, nutty with lovely grass notes and makes a lovely addition to salad dressings, dips and smoothies.
The seeds are also very nutty and delicious however even though they are shelled there are a lot of crunchy hulls still in the bag.
I made some delicious gluten free seeded crumbed eggplant with the hemple seeds and a yoghurt dip that was truly delicious. You can get this recipe via my naturopath Facebook page: @eclectic.health.naturopathy.clinic
Plus check out myhemple.com.au for plenty of other amazing yummy recipes for your Hemple products.
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